Today, Gov. Ned Lamont and the state’s Transportation Commissioner, Garrett Eucalitto, held a groundbreaking ceremony, announcing the start of construction on the state’s $33.2 million Naugatuck train station project. While Lamont took the announcement as an opportunity to highlight the state’s economy, State Republicans used it as an opportunity to criticize it.

A statement by the Governor’s Office said the project is “advancing the Lamont administration’s plan to modernize the entire Waterbury branch Line and spur downtown redevelopment.”

“We’re not just building a train station, we’re building more momentum for Naugatuck’s future,” said Lamont. “This new station brings public transportation closer to the heart of downtown, creating new opportunities for economic development, housing, and walkable neighborhoods. It’s an investment in infrastructure that connects people to jobs and strengthens communities.”

The project will relocate Naugatuck’s existing station closer to its downtown, and run it right through the middle of a 7.75 acre parcel near Rubber Ave and Old Firehouse Road that the borough plans to develop for commercial and residential use.

The station is projected to be finished in summer 2027, and 80% of its cost will be covered using over $20 million in federal funds released through the Federal Transit Administration. It is one part of a $140 million state program to upgrade all stations on the Waterbury Line. Riders can continue using the current Naugatuck station throughout the duration of the project’s construction, but a “temporary shutdown” of the Waterbury Line will occur later on.

At today’s ceremony, held at the Naugatuck train station, Lamont and Ecaulitto were joined by Connecticut’s US Senators, Richard Blumenthal and Chris Murphy, Naugatuck Mayor Pete Hess, Metro North President Justin Vonashek, State Sens. Joan Hartley (D-Waterbury) and Jorge Cabrera (D-Hamden) and State Rep. Seth Bronko (R-Naugatuck). In a short press availability session held after the ceremony, Lamont praised Naugatuck for taking the initiative on transit-oriented development.

“They had a vision here, they zoned things appropriately, we gave them brownfield remediation so we can clean things up so a developer can come in and get things built fast,” said Lamont. “Metro North said ‘I like what they’re doing here in the Naugatuck Valley, we’re gonna do more rail service.’ It’s a virtuous cycle, Naugatuck gets it right.”

Lamont also commented on the state’s economy, during the session, saying the state has “one of the fastest growing economies in the region, faster growing GDP, more jobs being created, lower unemployment.”

Republican Senators Ryan Fazio (Greenwich) and Steven Harding (Brookfield) released a statement in response, calling the claims “just not true.” They said that Connecticut ranks 47th in the country for competitiveness and affordability of tax code, and cited the Bureau of Economic Analysis, which noted Connecticut’s GDP as having declined by .09%.

“No wonder we are also in the bottom 10 of all states for economic growth and affordability since Gov. Lamont and Democrats won large majorities in 2018,” read the statement. “Republicans are outnumbered at the State Capitol, but we will continue pushing for lower taxes, lower electricity costs and the elimination of unnecessary burdens on job creators which stunt economic growth.”

Despite their statement, not every State Republican took the announcement as an opportunity to criticize the Governor. When speaking at the ceremony, Rep. Bronko called it a “tremendously exciting day for Naugatuck,” which is “the impetus for all the development in the area.” Bronko thanked Lamont, Eucalitto and the federal government for “helping make this opportunity possible.”

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